Shifting From Tokenism to Meaningful Adolescent Participation in Research for Obesity Prevention: A Systematic Scoping Review

Background: Traditionally, adolescent participation in research has been tokenistic. Adolescents are rarely afforded the opportunity to influence decision-making in research designed to prevent obesity. Engaging adolescents in meaningful decision-making may enhance research translation. This review aimed to analyze the current modes and nature of adolescent participation in obesity prevention research decision-making.Methods: A systematic scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O'Malley's six-stage framework. Six major databases were searched for peer-reviewed primary research studies with adolescent participation related to obesity, physical activity, and diet. Modes of adolescent participation were categorized based on the Lansdown-UNICEF conceptual framework for measuring outcomes of adolescent participation. The framework outlines three modes of meaningful participation: (i) consultative, which involves taking opinions and needs into consideration; (ii) collaborative, where adolescents are partners in the decision-making process; and (iii) adolescent-led participation where adolescents have the capacity to influence the process and outcomes. The degree of involvement in research cycles was classified based on the National Health and Medical Research Council consumer engagement framework. Five stages of the research cycle were determined: identify, design and develop, conduct, analyze and disseminate.Results: In total, 126 papers describing 71 unique studies were identified. Of these, 69% (49/71) took place in the USA, and 85% (52/61) were conducted in minority or underserved communities, while males were more likely to be under-represented. In 49% (35/71) of studies, participation was consultative and 9% (6/71) of studies involved an adolescent-led approach. Furthermore, 87% (62/71) of studies incorporated adolescent participation in one or more of the research cycle's formative phases, which involve eliciting views, opinions and idea generation. Only 11% of studies engaged adolescents in all five stages of the research cycle where adolescents could have more influence over the research process.Conclusion: Meaningful adolescent participation in the obesity prevention research cycle is limited. Empowering and mobilizing equal partnership with adolescents should be at the forefront of all adolescent-related obesity prevention research.

Experiences of Adolescent Participation in Educational Institutions in Croatia

Adolescents in educational institutions are one of the groups of children whose voice is seldom heard, who have fewer opportunities to participate, and face more obstacles when they want to participate. Furthermore, growing up in out-of-home care often increases the children’s vulnerability and endangers their participatory rights in terms of obtaining adequate information on the course of care, the opportunities to participate in decisions relevant to their life and care, the impact on the quality of care, etc. The aim of this paper is to describe adolescent participation from two perspectives: prescribed and formalized in the form of beneficiary councils in educational institutions and in the form of adolescent’s experiences in institutions. A qualitative approach was used, and the data were obtained from focus groups with adolescents, as well as from descriptions of beneficiary councils through online questionnaires. The results shed light on the importance of adolescent’s rights but also on the lack of their fulfilment in educational institutions, especially when it comes to participation. Adolescents’ participation in educational institutions is perceived as limited, characterized by restriction and a lack of choice, which results in decreased motivation for participation. Beneficiary councils, despite being regulated in terms of legislation, are not considered a significant form of child participation in educational institutions.

HIV Prevention in sub-Saharan Africa: Where Are Adolescents in the Continuum?

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the leading cause of death among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally, yet this population is not expressly targeted in HIV prevention. Consequently, HIV prevalence among this population continues to rise. In 2014, McNairy and El-Sadr developed and proposed an HIV prevention continuum framework to ensure zero HIV infection among HIV uninfected people. While a step in the right direction, the continuum does not categorically focus on adolescents and thus, does not include mechanisms to offset the potential challenges this population experiences in HIV prevention. Intentionally involving adolescents in HIV prevention is crucial, as this population is considered integral to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 target of eliminating HIV by 2030. This paper examines the challenges of adolescent participation in HIV prevention in sub-Saharan Africa using the McNairy and El-Sadar HIV prevention continuum framework as a backdrop. Copyright © 2021 Armstrong-Mensah et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.

A Review and Analysis of Single-Case Research Examining Adolescent Participation in IEP Meetings

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify and synthesize single-case research examining interventions used to increase the quantity and/or quality of participation by adolescents with disabilities during Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings. For studies meeting quality indicators, we used visual analysis, Tau-U, and standardized mean difference to synthesize outcomes, including maintenance and generalization of effects. We identified seven studies examining quality of participation and eight studies examining quantity of participation that met our inclusion criteria; however, only three studies from each group met quality standards. Overall, interventions positively influenced student contributions at IEP meetings. When measured, increased quantity and quality of participation maintained over time and generalized to real IEP meetings. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Ethical considerations for involving adolescents in biomedical HIV prevention research

Background Involvement of adolescent girls in biomedical HIV research is essential to better understand efficacy and safety of new prevention interventions in this key population at high risk of HIV infection. However, there are many ethical issues to consider prior to engaging them in pivotal biomedical research. In Uganda, 16–17-year-old adolescents can access sexual and reproductive health services including for HIV or other sexually transmitted infections, contraception, and antenatal care without parental consent. In contrast, participation in HIV prevention research involving investigational new drugs requires adolescents to have parental or guardian consent. Thus, privacy and confidentiality concerns may deter adolescent participation. We describe community perspectives on ethical considerations for involving adolescent girls in the MTN 034 study in Uganda. Methods From August 2017 to March 2018, we held five stakeholder engagement meetings in preparation for the MTN 034 study in Kampala, Uganda (NCT03593655): two with 140 community representatives, two with 125 adolescents, and one with 50 adolescents and parents. Discussions were moderated by the study team. Proceedings were documented by notetakers. Summary notes described community perspectives of adolescent participation in HIV research including convergent, divergent or minority views, challenges, and proposed solutions. Results Most community members perceived parental or guardian consent as a principal barrier to study participation due to concerns about adolescent disclosure of pre-marital sex, which is a cultural taboo. Of 125 adolescent participants, 119 (95%) feared inadvertent disclosure of sexual activity to their parents. Community stakeholders identified the following critical considerations for ethical involvement of adolescents in HIV biomedical research: (1) involving key stakeholders in recruitment, (2) ensuring confidentiality of sensitive information about adolescent sexual activity, (3) informing adolescents about information to be disclosed to parents or guardians, (4) offering youth friendly services by appropriately trained staff, and (5) partnering with community youth organizations to maximize recruitment and retention. Conclusions Stakeholder engagement with diverse community representatives prior to conducting adolescent HIV prevention research is critical to collectively shaping the research agenda, successfully recruiting and retaining adolescents in HIV clinical trials and identifying practical strategies to ensure high ethical standards during trial implementation.

Goals for Adolescent Participation in Organized Youth Programs: Views From Adolescent-Parent Dyads

This study investigated the goals adolescents and parents have for the adolescent’s participation in an organized youth program. Open-ended interviews were conducted with 52 adolescents from 13 project-based youth programs and one of their caregivers. Adolescents (aged 13–18; 56% female) were ethnically diverse (46% Latinx, 29% European American, 19% African American, and 6% other). Caregivers ( M age 43.15 years) were predominantly female (80%) and biological or adoptive parents (94%); about half had been born in the United States. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted to examine goal content and congruence between adolescents and parents. Interview data were inductively coded following a consensus team approach. Thirteen goal categories were identified: nine were described by both adolescents and parents (e.g., skill-building and socialization) and two were unique to adolescents and two to parents. More than half (56%) of adolescent-parent dyads reported at least one matching goal. In general, adolescents tended to emphasize short-term objectives and parents long-term outcomes. Collectively, findings indicate that adolescents and their parents view organized programs as salient contexts to pursue youth’s personal goals. Findings have implications for theory, research, and practice.

Adolescent-led sexual and reproductive health and rights research: qualitative evaluation of an innovative participatory action research project in Senegal

Participatory approaches are increasingly popular in public health, but remain little used to address adolescent health issues. However, adolescent participation in research has enormous potential for identifying solutions to health issues that concern them. In Senegal, a youth-led participatory action research project was implemented to evaluate the potential of the approach to address adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights issues. A qualitative evaluation was conducted in four Senegalese communities, where teams of adolescents were trained to conduct a research project and identify solutions relevant for their communities. Observations and interviews were carried out during results dissemination meetings in each of the communities. Based on participatory action research principles and expected adolescent participation outcomes, the evaluation of the project demonstrated the potential of the approach to identify relevant solutions, while promoting positive and meaningful adolescent participation. Despite some difficulties, such as community resistance, the youth researchers were able to successfully complete their research project, while developing their confidence and self-esteem. The adolescents were convinced that they could act as agents of positive social change. This project has shown that it is possible and relevant to involve adolescents in research projects, and that this approach has significant potential in global health.

Measuring Adolescent Participation: Results from a Qualitative Pretest in Cote D’Ivoire and Indonesia

Adolescence, or the period of transition between childhood and adulthood, is a significant stage in human development. Not only is it a time of physical growth and neurological development, but it is also a time when many young people begin to expand their networks beyond their family, form close ties with their peers, develop and express their views, and have a greater desire to be involved in decisions that affect them. This act of forming and expressing their views and influencing matters that concern them is sometimes referred to as adolescent participation. When viewed through an international human rights lens, adolescent participation is considered a fundamental right, and consequently, there is a need for reliable and valid measures that accurately assess adolescent participation and allow for internationally comparable data. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively test a draft questionnaire designed to measure adolescent participation. The goal was to gain insight into both how the items would perform cross-culturally and how adolescents’ comprehension and interpretation of different constructs related to adolescent participation. Cognitive interviews were conducted with 123 adolescents aged 10 to 19 in Côte d’Ivoire and Indonesia. This paper describes the development of the draft questionnaire, presents the methods used to pretest the questionnaire, and summarizes the findings. This study reveals important considerations for researchers and practitioners interested in qualitatively pretesting questionnaires with adolescents and in measuring and understanding adolescent participation across a range of international contexts.

Popular Media and Grade 6-12 Literacy

Adolescents in the 21st century engage with popular media in a variety of ways. Adolescent students' interactions with video games, videos, social media, and other forms of popular media have become a growing topic of study among academics interested in popular media's role in in-school literacies. To complicate matters, secondary classroom teachers continue to grapple with state and national standards that address traditional reading and writing skills. This systematic literature review focuses on what articles from practitioner journals reveal about adolescent participation in popular media, and how media skills are addressed. The analysis provided here is based on a random sample of 35 articles focusing on popular media and in-school literacies.